Biography

Jürgen Haase placed 15th in the 10,000 metres at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, when the former GDR started as an independent team for the first time. He participated in three European Championships, winning gold medals in the 10K in 1966 and 1969, adding a silver medal in 1971. At the 1967 and 1970 European Cups Haase won the 10K event and was runner-up over 5K in 1967. Domestically he won 11 East German titles. In 1968 he set a European record over 10K with 28:04.4 and became the first German to better 28 minutes in 1971.

Haase was the focus of a scandal in 1966 at the European Championships, when his teammate Jürgen May convinced him not to wear his usual adidas shoes but rather to wear Puma. The conviction was supported by the payment of $500 (US). This episode led to May’s permanent ban from the GDR national team, which caused him to move to West Germany in 1967, while Haase was pardoned by the GDR sports authorities. When May was then nominated for the 1969 European Championships for West Germany, former GDR officials successfully protested against his nomination, which led to the West Germans boycotting the meet.

Haase was educated as a machine engineer, but after retiring he first was active in customer service and marketing of medical technology, before studying sports at the Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur und Sport (German College for Fitness Training and Sport), and serving as a national discipline coach from 1975-90. He coached, among others, Kathrin Ullrich-Weßel and Detlef Wagenknecht. After German reunification Haase was released by the German Track and Field Association in 1992 due to his previous association with GDR sports authorities, and later worked in several job creation activities.

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